Reinforced paper clip



Nov. 5, 1968 M. s. CHASE 3,408,700

REINFORCED PAPER CLIP Filed April 12, 1967 FIG. 8 FIG. 6A

I? 2| 2O 25 %2s INVENTOR.

24 MARSTON S. CHASE BY FIG. 9 q W United States Patent REINFORCED PAPER CLIP Marston S. Chase, 1330 New Hampshire Ave. NW.,

. Washington, D.C. 20036 Filed Apr. 12, 1967, Ser. No. 630,407 Claims. (CI. 24-66) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The member reinforcing and rigidifying the bight portion of the connecting U-section may take a number of forms and may include an extension projecting outwardly beyond the bight portion and away from the first and second U-shape sections to provide a manipulating lever handle for readily applying and removing the paper clip. The reinforcing member also serves as identification of a particular paper clip by characteristic markings, colorings, shape and the like for identifying material held by the respective paper clips.

The present invention relates to an improvement inthe conventional wire paper clip and more particularly to a modification thereof to improve the clamping characteristics, the ease of application and removal, and the effectiveness of the paper clip in use and also relates to the provision of a handle for more easily manipulating the paper clip.

The conventional wire paper clip made of nesting U-sections of wire connected by a connecting U-section has previously been modified to identify a particular paper clip by resilient sheaths applied thereto and by cellulosic material adhesively secured thereto, but the sheaths and cellulosic material have not appreciably affected the operation of the paper clip and have been used solely for identification of one paper clip with respect to another for identifying material to which the paper clip was attached.

An object of the present invention is to provide a paper clip with a member fixedly secured thereto which improves the clamping characteristics thereof and also provides a handle for assisting in the manipulation of the paper clip with the member being distinctively marked, colored, or shaped to provide identifying characteristics.

A further object is to modify a paper clip to improve the clamping characteristics thereof while reducing danger of damage to sheet material to which the paper clip is attached and also to assure more effective cooperation of the parts thereof.

Other and further objects will be apparent as the description proceeds and upon reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a paper clip according to the present invention showing the handle and identifying member secured to the connecting U-section and extending outwardly from the bight portion of the connecting U-section.

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal section taken on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an edge view of sheet material with the paper clip of the present invention applied thereto.

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FIGURE 4 is an end view thereof.

FIGURES 5 and 6 are views similar to FIGURES 3 and 4 of a conventional paper clip of wire material shown in side edge and end views, respectively.

FIGURE 6A is a plan view of a conventional paper clip after use showing the permanent distortion thereof.

FIGURES 7 and 8 are plan and side elevations of another form of paper clip with the reinforcing member being a wire section connecting the legs of the connecting U-shape section to maintain the parallel relation of the common continuation legs.

FIGURE 9 is a section taken on line 9-9 of FIG- URE 7.

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged section taken substantially on line 1010 of FIGURE 3 of the paper clip of the present invention in use showing the overlying relation of the continuation leg of the large U-section and the free leg of a small U-section.

FIGURE 11 illustrates the manner of application of the paper clip according to the present invention to sheet material.

Referring particularly to FIGURES 1 to 4, inclusive, the paper clip structure includes a first generally planar U-shape section including a free leg 15, a semicircular bight portion 16 and continuation leg 17 and a second generally planar U-shape section including a free leg 18, a semicircular bight portion 19 and a continuation leg 20 nested between the legs of the first section. A connecting section of U-shape includes continuation legs 17 and 20 and a connecting bight portion 21. This paper clip structure is conventional and similar parts will be identified by the same reference numerals in the various figures.

Attached to the connecting U-section 17, 20, 21 is a member 22 of substantially rigid material such as metal, strong plastic, and the like which member is securely fixed to the portion of the connecting U-shape section including the bight portion 21 of the connecting U-shape section and the adjacent portions of the continuation legs to be substantially integral therewith so that the continuation legs 17 and 20 are maintained in substantially parallel relation.

The clip is shown applied to sheet material 23 and a substantial portion of the clamping action appears to take place between the continuation leg 17 of the large U-section and the free leg 18 of the small U-section over an extended length.

The clamping force between the first and second U- sections is increased by the reinforcing member 22 and the first and second U-sections appear to be more nearly planar U-sections than the corresponding U-sections of a conventional paper clip illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6 where the elements are identified by similar reference numerals. Although the precise reason for the improvement in clamping is not entirely understood, the clamping action is substantially greater in the use of a paper clip reinforced according to the present invention. There appears to be less deformation of the sheet material with the use of the present invention. There appears to be less danger of damage to the sheet material with the use of the present invention.

Upon reference to the embodiment of FIGURES 7, 8 and 9, the reinforcing effect is accomplished by a bar or wire member 24 having one end 25 bent around the continuation leg 17 and the other end 26 bent around the continuation leg 20 in a manner to be maintained in operative position thereon to thereby provide a reinforced bight portion 21 which maintains the continuation legs 17 and 20 in substantially parallel relation to obtain the advantageous results of the present invention.

When a conventional paper clip is used as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6 the paper clip appears to be deformed by a straightening out of the connecting bight portion 21 3 A at resulting in nonparallel' relation between the free leg 18 of the' small .U-section and the continuation leg 17 of the large U-section so that conventional paper clips after use assume this deformed condition as shown in FIGURE 6A. Effective use of such deformed paper clips requires rebending of the deformed paper clip before applying the deformed paper clip to sheet material.

In contrast, the paper-clip of the present invention is not permanently deformed when applied to relatively thick sheet material 23. The large and small U-sections separate in substantially parallel relation as shown inFIGS. 3, 4 and 10 when used on sheet material. In FIG.-10 the continuation leg 17 is shown as overlying the free leg 18 of the small U-section so the clamping action occurs substantially perpendicular to the sheet material and over substantially the full length of the free leg 18 of the small U-section.

The extension handle 22A of the reinforcing member 22' of the present invention provides an extension of the bight portion21 to facilitate manipulating the paper clip as shown in FIGURE 11 where the bight portion 16 of the large section engages the edge of the sheet material 23 while the pressure of the operators thumb 27 and finger 28 against the reinforcing member 22 and the handle portion 22A causes the bight portion 19 of the small U-section to be separated from the bight portion 16 by the diverging relation between the large and small U- sections so the clip may be positioned on the edge of sheet material 23 without bending the continuation leg 17 beyond the elastic limit in the process. With the conventional paper clip the bight portion 21 and the portion of the continuation legs 17 and 20 between the bight portion 21 and the free ends of legs and 18 is too short to provide a satisfactory gripping portion between the thumb and finger so that the thumb and finger must overlap the free ends of the legs 15 and 18 thereby requiring a greater force to produce the divergence of the nested U-sections resulting in greater danger of bending of the continuation leg 17 beyond its elastic limit.

The member 22 including the handle 22A is of greater thickness than the paper clip and the additional thickness including that resulting from the wire 24 with the embracing ends 25 and 26 has an additional advantage of avoiding digital contact with free ends 15 and 18 and avoiding damage to the paper clip by bending leg 17 beyond its elastic limit.

Consequently it is much easier to use the improved paper clip of the present invention.

It will be apparent that changes may be made within the spirit of the invention as defined by the valid scope of the attached claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A clip structure for releasably clamping sheet material comprising first and second generally planar sections adapted to overlie one another on opposite surfaces of sheet material being clamped, a connecting section positioned adjacent one end of said first and second sections, a pair of legs disposed in substantially parallel spaced relation and fixedly connected to said connecting section, one leg being fixed to one edge of said first section and the other leg being fixed to the opposite edge of the second section means to maintain said legs in substantially parallel relation during clamping action whereby separation of said first and second sections by sheet material results in torsional strains on said pair of legs whereby the clamping pressure reacting between said first and second sections results in substantially uniform clamping pressure throughout the sheet material engaging portions of the cooperating lengths of said first and second sections.

2. The invention according to claim 1 in which the means to maintain the saidlegs in. parallel relation is a bar positively connected to saidparallel legs and will resist stress and strains caused by forces -tending to cause the legs of the connecting section to become non-parallel.

3. The invention according to claim 2 in which the bar has eyes at itsends embracing saidparallel legs 1 '4. A paper clip structure for releasable securement to sheet material comprising a first U-shape section, a second .U-shape sectionnest'ed.between'the legs, of the first- U shape section, a connecting U-shape section at the leg ends of said first and second U-shape-sections, one-leg of said connecting U-shape section being a continuation of one leg of said first U-shape section -the other ,leg of said connecting U-shape section being a continuation of the opposite leg of the second U shape section, a member positively connected to a portion of the U-shape connecting section including the bight portion of the connecting U-shape section and the adjacent portions of the continuation legs maintaining a substantial portion of said continuation legs substantially parallelsaid member having a portion engaging said parallel legs of said connecting U-shape section to maintain said legs in substantially parallel relation during clamping whereby separation of said first and second U-shape sections by sheet material results in torsional strains on the continuation legs and clamping pressure reacting between the first and second .U-shape sections is substantially uniform clamping pressure throughout the material engaging portions of the cooperating lengths of the legs engaging the sheet material.

5. The invention according to claim 4 in which the member is positively secured to the bight portion ofthe connecting U-section to maintain the member in operative position so the portion of the member engaging the continuation legs will be maintained in operative relation therewith to maintain the continuation legs in substantially parallel relation at all times.

6. The invention according to claim 5 in which the member extends between and is connected to the continuation legs adjacent the free ends of the legs of the first and second U-shape sections.

7. The invention according to claim 6 in which the member is a wire positively connected to the continuation legs in a manner to prevent movement along the legs of the U-shaped sections.

'8. The invention according to claim 4 in which the member is rigid and is of a distinctive material to identify one paper clip structure from another.

9. The invention according to claim 4 in which the member is rigidly fixed to the bight portion and has an extension projecting outwardly therefrom away from said first; and second U-shape'sections a substantial distance providing a handle increasing the mechanicaladvantage to assist in applying the paper clip in both directions.

10. The "invention according to claim 4 in which the member embeds and covers the bight portion and the "adjacent leg portiohs of the connecting U-shape section.

References Cited UNITED sTATEs PATENTS 575,928 1/1897 Ives 2466 2,043,553 6/1936 Pado 24-261 2,055,152 9/1936 Larson 412-23 2,665,463 1/1954 Avrynger 2466 3,052,938 9/1962 Hill et a1: 24-161 FOREIGN PATE TS 457,163 3/1928 Germany.

930,491 7/1963 Great Britain. DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner. 

